From Visa Maze to Venture Network: How Elizabeth Maruyama Is Building AVA Migration for Immigrant Founders

Elizabeth Maruyama arrived in the US from Thailand in 2017 on a temporary work visa, with a finance background and a lifelong love of coding. The immigration system still felt like a maze. It took her two years to navigate the EB-3 skilled worker green card largely alone, and the mistakes along the way cost her time and money. The hardest part, she says, was not the paperwork but not knowing what she didn't know.

That experience became America Visa Advisory, the service she wishes she had when she started. Today, through AVA Migration and its AI platform, Elizabeth is closing three gaps that most newcomers face: complex information, missing professional networks, and the high cost of quality guidance. The platform assesses which visa pathways fit a person's profile, explains requirements in their own language, prepares documents, and matches candidates with employers open to sponsorship, all while her team stays involved in decisions that need a human touch.

Now Elizabeth is expanding her vision to immigrant founders. Through AVA Lab, she is building a network that connects founders with angel investors and venture capitalists, while also launching a job-placement program and adding new visa categories. Her goal is for AVA to be the first stop for ambitious immigrants, not just to secure a visa, but to build a career and a life in the US. In this Q&A, she shares the story behind AVA, the gaps she sees, and what comes next.

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Q: What inspired you to start America Visa Advisory?

I came to the US from Thailand in 2017 on a temporary non-immigrant work visa. I had a background in finance, and I'd been learning algorithms and coding since I was 11, but the immigration system still felt like a maze. I spent two years figuring out the EB-3 skilled worker green card largely on my own, and I made mistakes that cost me time and money. The hardest part wasn't the paperwork. It was not knowing what I didn't know, and not having anyone who'd been through it to guide me.

I started America Visa Advisory to be the advisor I wish I'd had. Because I've lived it, I don't treat clients as case files. I start with their goals and build a realistic path from there.

Q: What gaps do you see, and how is your AI platform helping close them?

They all face three big gaps. First, information: the rules are complex, change often, and most reliable guidance is written in English legal language. Second, network: many arrive without US professional connections, so landing that first job or sponsor is the hardest step. Third, cost: quality guidance is expensive, so people either overpay or rely on rumors from social media.

Our AI platform closes these gaps by assessing which visa pathways fit a person's profile, explaining requirements in their own language, preparing documents, and matching candidates with employers open to sponsorship. It makes expert-level guidance available 24/7 at a fraction of the usual cost, while our team stays involved for the decisions that need a human.

Q: What's next for AVA Migration?

Over the past three months, we've expanded the platform to support early-stage startups and immigrant founders. Through AVA Lab (avalab.net), we're building a network that connects immigrant founders with angel investors and venture capitalists. We're also launching a job-placement program and adding new visa categories.

Our goal is to be a one-stop service for talented immigrant founders: from the visa, to PR and visibility for their startup, to the investors who can help it grow. Long term, we want AVA to be the first place an ambitious immigrant goes, not just to get a visa, but to build a career and a life in the US.

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